1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to compostions containing cationic steroidal antimicrobial (CSA) compounds with reduced CSA agglomeration and methods for making and utilizing such compositions.
2. The Relevant Technology
Cationic steroidal antimicrobial (CSA) compounds have been shown to be effective in treating diseases and infections in mammals caused by microbes. The effectiveness of CSA compounds in treating diseases and infections caused by microbes can be dependent on the concentration of the CSA compound(s) within a CSA-containing composition and/or the amount of CSA-containing composition administered.
Notwithstanding the effectiveness of CSA compounds, some CSA-containing compositions have unexpectedly shown diminished effectiveness in killing microbes, sometimes in unpredictable or unexpected ways. In some cases, CSA-containing compositions have been found to be cytotoxic to mammalian cells and therefore harmful to the mammal being treated. It can sometimes be difficult to strike the correct balance between effectiveness in killing microbes, on the one hand, and safety to the mammal being treated, on the other.
In addition, CSA-containing compositions can lose efficacy and/or form increased cytotoxicity to mammalian cells over time, sometimes in unpredictable or unexpected ways. Thus, the instability of certain CSA-containing compositions can pose difficult challenges.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved methods of preparing CSA-containing compositions that increase or maintain their efficacy in killing microbes, while, at the same time, reducing or minimizing toxicity to mammals being treated. In addition, there is a need for improved CSA-containing compositions that are able to remain stable over time.